The wizarding world of English : Cooking 101

Howdy, chingu? Are you enjoying this beautiful weather? I hate these hot days because you can’t sleep properly, and all my tv shows are on hiatus. Additionally, hot days make people rude and nasty. Yeah, I’m talking about you lady outside the supermarket. Even the mosquitos have given up because of the weather.

So, today’s post is going to be about something you can do in your house. We are going to cook. First of all, I’m a vegetarian, so the dishes we are going to make here are completely meat-free. As you probably know, Argentinians are the second consumers of beef in the world. Therefore, If you are a vegetarian living in Argentina, you have to be very creative in the kitchen. Sometimes it’s difficult to find places in Buenos Aires with a (real) vegetarian menu. One day, I was with my best friend, Vanesa, eating in a restaurant and I ordered what I thought was a vegetarian dish (a vegetable tortilla). Spoiler alert, it wasn’t a vegetarian dish at all. According to the menu, it had no meat on it, but I found pieces of chorizos in my tortilla. I explained to the waiter that this was not a vegetarian dish, he was like “but it has a lot of vegetables, and pieces of chorizo.” I stared at him like “Do you know chorizo is made of meat, right?” I had many bad experiences with “vegetarian menu” in different restaurants (even in a hospital).

So, after having bad experiences, I decided to cook my own food. The advantages, of preparing your own food, are that you know what your plate contains. One of the disadvantages is that most vegetarian ingredients (like seitan, couscous or kombu) are very expensive. If you live far from downtown, you probably are not going to be able to find some ingredients. Nevertheless, these next recipes are easy to make.

Vegetarian Empanadas (Argentina)

700 g (1 lb 9 oz) baby spinach
olive oil
salt, black pepper
200 g (7 oz) mozzarella or feta cheese, diced
100 g (3½ oz) parmesan

(In Argentina you can buy pre-made discs – tapas para empanadas – if you don’t want to make the dough by hand.)
Cook the spinach in a hot frying pan with a little oil until wilted. Drain thoroughly in a colander and roughly chop. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool. Combine the mozzarella, parmesan and spinach. Adjust the seasoning. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F/Gas 5). Sprinkle a little flour on the work surface. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 3 mm (¹⁄8 inch), and cut out circles with a 14 cm (5½ inch) cutter. Using a 60 ml (2 fl oz/1/4 cup) ice-cream scoop or measuring cup, form small balls of filling and place one on each round of dough. Lightly moisten the edge of the dough with a little water and fold over into a half-moon shape.

Arrange the vegetarian empanadas on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Brush with egg yolk and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden and cooked. Allow the vegetarian empanadas cool for a few minutes before serving.

Kimchi (Korea)

Kimchi is basically a catch-all Korean term for fermented vegetables.

Ingredients

1 medium head (2 pounds) napa cabbage
1/4 cup sea salt
Water
Garlic (5 to 6 cloves)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
Red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
8 ounces Korean radish or daikon, peeled and cut into matchsticks
4 scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

Instructions

Slice the cabbage: Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters and remove the cores. Cut each quarter crosswise into 2-inch-wide strips.

Salt the cabbage: Place the cabbage and salt in a large bowl. Using your hands (gloves optional), massage the salt into the cabbage until it starts to soften a bit, then add water to cover the cabbage. Put a plate on top and weigh it down with something heavy, like a jar or can of beans. Let stand for 1 to 2 hours.

Rinse and drain the cabbage: Rinse the cabbage under cold water 3 times and drain in a colander for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse and dry the bowl you used for salting, and set it aside to use in step 5.

Make the paste: Meanwhile, combine the garlic, ginger, sugar, and seafood flavor (or 3 tablespoons water) in a small bowl and mix to form a smooth paste. Mix in the gochugaru, using 1 tablespoon for mild and up to 5 tablespoons for spicy (I like about 3 1/2 tablespoons).

Combine the vegetables and paste: Gently squeeze any remaining water from the cabbage and return it to the bowl along with the radish, scallions, and seasoning paste.

Mix thoroughly: Using your hands, gently work the paste into the vegetables until they are thoroughly coated. The gloves are optional here but highly recommended to protect your hands from stings, stains, and smells!

Pack the kimchi into the jar: Pack the kimchi into the jar, pressing down on it until the brine rises to cover the vegetables. Leave at least 1 inch of headspace. Seal the jar with the lid.

Let it ferment: Let the jar stand at room temperature for 1 to 5 days. You may see bubbles inside the jar and brine may seep out of the lid; place a bowl or plate under the jar to help catch any overflow.

Here you have a video from JiniChannel on how to make Kimchi.

Potato Scones (Scotland)
Ingredients
• Half pound (225g) boiled and mashed potatoes

• 2.5oz (65g) plain or all-purpose flour • 1oz (25g) Butter

• Half teaspoon salt

• Pinch of pepper

• Quarter Teaspoon of baking Powder

Instructions

1. Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender.

2. Drain the potatoes and mash them with the butter, salt, pepper and baking powder.

3. Mix in the flour to make a stiff dough. The exact amount of flour will depend on the type of potatoes used.

4.Roll out the dough on a floured surface to around 5 to 6 mm thickness.

5. Cut into rounds, use a saucer or small tea plate as a guide.

6. Prick all over with a fork and score the dough to mark 4 equal wedges.

7. Cook in a heavy pan or griddle which has been very lightly greased.

8. Cook each side for about three minutes on a medium heat until the scones are golden brown.